The present invention relates to gasoline pumps, and more particularly to a gasoline pump with means for concurrently serving more than one car.
Old mechanical gasoline pumps are now being replaced by new, electronic pumps. The new pumps have various benefits, for example a digital precise readout and a capability to update prices. The pump may be automatically controlled to deliver fuel up to a certain amount as desired. It was found by the present inventor, these benefits notwithstanding, that the new electronic pumps have a certain disadvantage with respect to the older pumps.
The old pumps had several outlets, corresponding to several types of vehicle fuel. Each outlet had a delivery pipe that was connected to the fuel tank in the car, and a flowmeter to measure the quantity of fuel being delivered. When one car was filled with one type of fuel, a second car could be connected to another outlet to be filled as well.
The present invention aims to concurrently service more than one customer from each side of a gasoline pump system, whereas prior art systems can only service one customer from each side of it.
Prior art patents apparently did not indicate a possibility for concurrently serving more than one car from each side of a gasoline pump system, nor do they include the necessary means for doing so. Therefore, prior art systems apparently cannot be used to reduce the waiting time and increase throughput in a crowded gas filling station.
The present situation at gas filling stations apparently attests to the difficulty/impossibility of using prior art systems to provide more effective service to customers.
Searching for ways to alleviate the problem of the crowded gas filling stations, a novel approach has identified two basic problems associated with concurrent filling of more than one car at the same side of a gas pump system, as follows:
a. In a crowded gas station, it is difficult or impossible for a driver to know where there is an available filling outlet. More so if a gasoline unit can concurrently fill two or three cars, and one or two cars are already filling there. Furthermore, the driver has to locate that filling outlet from inside his/her car, with other cars moving around.
Considering the crowded situation in a gas station, this is not a simple task (see, for example, the actual situation at a filling station in Jerusalem, in FIGS. 4 and 5). The driver preferably has to see the situation from a distance, and from outside the filling area.
Moreover, the driver has to maneuver his/her car to the available location, not a simple task under the circumstances. Thus, means for guiding car drivers to available filling outlets are required.
Accordingly, novel guiding means in the present invention allow a driver to find that available outlet before he/she enters the filling area.
b. It is necessary to enable each driver to identify the outlet used for filling his/her car, and to distinguish it from outlets used for filling other cars.
It is essential that each driver should only pay for fuel delivered to his/her car, and not for fuel supplied to others.
This essential task is further complicated in the new environment, where two or more cars are concurrently filled from the same side of the gas unit, in a crowded gas station.
Accordingly, novel means in the present invention allow a driver to ensure that he/she only pays for fuel delivered to their vehicle, by allowing him/her to reliably relate a total cost display to the fueling outlet used for filling his/her car.
Notes:
1. Throughout the present disclosure, a reference to xe2x80x9cfilling more than one carxe2x80x9d refers to concurrently servicing more than one customer, from each side of the gasoline pump system. Prior art systems usually have two separate units, housed together, back to back, and can concurrently service two cars, but only one car from each side of the system.
2. Throughout the present disclosure, a reference to xe2x80x9cgasoline pump systemxe2x80x9d refers to two separate units placed back to back in the same housing.
The new electronic pump also has several outlets for the various types of fuel, however it only has one flowmeter. As the desired fuel type is chosen and the corresponding outlet is coupled to the car, the flowmeter will measure the quantity of flow for that outlet. The display will indicate the cost to customer. A problem in the new pump is that, when one outlet is being used, all the other outlets are inactive. It is, therefore, impossible to fill a second car while the first car is being filled.
Prior art systems apparently do not address this problem.
Thus, Bickford, U.S. Pat. No. 3,639,735 discloses a multiple product gasoline dispensing pump with two multiple product gasoline subsystems independently operable from opposite side of the pump for selectively dispensing a plurality of different grades of gasoline. Once the product is chosen, the pump is activated for that product alone.
Krone et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,302 discloses a gasoline dispensing system for delivery of regular, premium and intermediate grades of gasoline from respective regular and premium supply reservoirs comprising dispensing means including gasoline delivery hose, regular and premium metering means, first and second circuit means generating electrical pulse output, pulse combinator, variator circuit and first and second display circuitspremium metering means, and, in particular, refers to blending gasoline at different octane ratings to give an intermediate octane rating and a control relay means actuable to enable delivery flow of multiple grades of gasoline.
Atchley et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,602,745, discloses a fuel disposal electronics design. The fuel dispenser includes a dispenser control having a plurality of microcontroller nodes and a communications bus connecting the nodes.
Atchley strives to reduce the number and complexity of wiring required in a fuel dispenser. This apparently reduces the cost of materials in the device, the manufacturing cost and the complexity of the software. It may be easier to repair the units.
The benefits claimed in Atchley relate to improvements in manufacturing and maintenance of a fuel dispenser.
Fleisher, U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,550, discloses a fuel delivery control system. A fuel delivery control system has both central and remote dispensing control stations.
Zinsmeyer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,645, discloses a dispensing and blending system for automotive fluids. A customer can select various fuel additives, which are automatically blended with the selected fuel. Separate switches and displays for these additives are provided in Zinsmeyer.
Miller, U.S. Pat. No. 6,163,738, discloses a point of purchase gasoline analyzing/blending.
Warn et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,216, discloses a flow signal monitor for a fuel dispensing system. The system is coupled to the data wire for collecting and storing information therein.
Kobayashi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,097, discloses a fueling system including a plurality of fueling units, a control unit and an outdoor fueling indicator.
None of the above-detailed prior art patents discloses means or methods for concurrently servicing more than one customer, from each side of the gasoline pump system. Rather, apparently all these prior art systems can only service one customer from each side of the gasoline pump system.
Callahan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,400, discloses a gasoline pump price encoder for delivering pulses corresponding to the price of gasoline or other liquid petroleum products dispensed by a pump. The encoder is removably mounted on the existing mechanical price computer in the pump and includes an input gear for engaging a drive gear on the computer. A pulse generator coupled to the input gear provides pulses at a higher rate than required for the output.
Pearson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,777 discloses a fuel dispensing system comprising an operator console with means for displaying data a single location status information for dispensers of the system and a data entry keyboard; a dispenser system for controlling and monitoring a dispensing operation; a self-service fuel dispensing system providing a central control and display.
Tatsuno, U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,478, discloses an oil-feeding apparatus including oil-feeding pumps. A hose guide is provided, which guides oil-feeding hoses, each with an oil-feeding nozzle. Retractors are provided in the top housing, with wires drawn from the retractors. There is just one indicator for showing the amount of the fed oil. Additional indicators and lamps indicate the kind of oil which is being fed. The structure is devised for filling just one car at a time.
Tatsuno, U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,445, discloses a fuel filling system of a nozzle-suspended type. It includes a stationary conduit extending to a position above a passageway in the station, a motor for operating the flexible conduit for vertical movement of the nozzle. The motor is slidably arranged in the body. The system can be operated from a computer control room.
The filling system body is provided with only one means for indicating an amount of fuel dispensed and monetary amount corresponding thereto, although there are several flexible conduits for supplying various kinds of fuel. The structure is devised for filling just one car at a time.
Box, U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,418, discloses a multiple fluid dispensing system. Each vehicle service facility has a plurality of control modules. Each module can be connected to a number of pumps, a number of solenoids and a number of meters. A control module may connect to various pumps, valves and meters. The system also includes hose reels. A number of separate dispensing operations with the same or different fluids may be carried out at the same time over the networked system. This is a complex system, which is different from the presently installed electronic pumps for dispensing gasoline or other liquid petroleum products.
Tatsuno, U.S. Pat. No. 3,395,723, discloses a gasoline filling station with means for supplying fuel to vehicles from a reservoir having a fixed pipe leading therefrom, a conduit for supplying fuel, and means for supporting the conduit above the area in which vehicles are serviced. The supporting means include a reel adapted to lower and raise the conduit as required, using means for automatically rotating the reel.
The system in Tatsuno aims to remove the fuel supplying posts from the ground, by using fuel conduit means which are located above the passageway, in such a manner that an outlet can be extended downwards to reach the vehicle to be supplied with fuel.
Callahan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,575, discloses a gasoline pump digital price encoder for delivering pulses corresponding to the price of gasoline or other liquid petroleum products dispensed by a pump. The encoder is removably mounted on the existing mechanical price computer in the pump and includes an input gear for engaging a drive gear on the computer. A pulse generator coupled to the input gear provides pulses at a higher rate, that is reduced by a counter to provide a desired number of pulses per unit price.
Pusic, U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,906, discloses an automated fuel pump controlling system. The system comprises debit card vending apparatus with automated means for accepting the payment either in cash, credit or IC cards, means for automated verifying of the payment methods and means for issuing a system""s debit card, and gasoline pump controlling apparatus, said apparatus comprising automated means for controlling the operation of said fuel pump activity according to information obtained from said system""s debit card. Means to allow a user of said debit card vending apparatus to enter required information are also provided. The two said apparatuses are located separately, each having its own microprocessor for controlling the tasks to be performed.
Byon, U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,718, discloses a self-service gasoline pump system with game function. The gasoline pump system includes game functions in which a plurality of gasoline dispensers or pumps are respectively provided with a game device. While a pump dispenses gasoline, the game device performs a game automatically whenever a predetermined certain amount of gasoline or charge is reached, or manually whenever the user pushes a button for starting games, so as to offer premiums to the user.
Schiller, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,607, discloses a fuel delivery system for a vehicle. It has been determined that a fuel delivery system with a fuel supply line and electromagnetically actuatable fuel injection valves produce fuel oscillations during opening and closing of the fuel injection valves and therefore generates noise, which annoys the passengers. In order to damp this kind of noise, at least one elongated, hollow damping body is connected at right angles to the fuel supply line and has a closed end.
Hartsell, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,179, discloses a precision fuel dispenser. It has a receiver capable of receiving fueling parameters transmitted from the vehicle. The fueling parameters relate to information about tank size and maximum allowed fueling rates, among others. Based on these fueling parameters, the fuel dispenser controls the fueling operation to optimize fuel delivery and minimize fuel spillage.
Bos, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,985, discloses a system for providing service to a vehicle positioned at a service site and billing a person or company for the service provided. The vehicle is provided with a vehicle processing unit which includes a receiver-transmitter connected to a vehicle antenna and with element for manually activating the vehicle processing unit. The service site comprises element for providing service, a site processing unit which includes a receiver-transmitter connected to a site antenna, which site processing unit includes element for registering the transaction and means for billing the person or company for the service provided.
Sasnett, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,401, discloses a liquid dispenser assembly including a tubular housing divided into a lower compartment, a central compartment and an upper compartment.
Apparently, the system in Sasnett converts a mechanical display to an electronic display. The basic structure, however, is the same old system: each pump has its own display. There is just one price display, with several digits therein. The single display is connected to just one pump, in a one-to-one structure as in prior art. Similarly, there is just a single money display and a volume display.
The system in Sasnett et al. can fill two cars from one side of the pump system, however it has severe limitations in practical use, for example:
The dispensers do not have a local display at all, the only display being located at the remote center or booth. Such a structure is not effective in increasing the number of cars concurrently serviced at each dispenser: It may be difficult or impossible for drivers to check their respective fuel consumption, especially where there are several dispensers and a plurality of cars.
Drivers may be forced out of their cars to the remote center, thus leaving their car unattended. It may be difficult to operate a system with a multitude of drivers crowding about that remote center.
The system in Sasnett et al. can fill only two cars altogether from each dispenser, as indicated by the two hoses there. This is no improvement, in this respect, relative to prior art dispensers: rather than filling two cars one on each side of the device, the same two cars could be located on the same side of the device. The hoses are located on the sides of the housing, however there are still only two hoses.
In a modern urban filling station, space is at a premium. A capability to concurrently fill more than two cars from each side of one dispenser, housing or pump system is highly desirable.
Spalding, U.S. Pat. No. 3,100,062, discloses a remote indicating apparatus for a dispensing system. Apparently, the structure in Spalding does not include novel features relating to the basic gasoline pump structure: each pump has its own display.
Sasnett, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,697, discloses a remote control fluid dispenser having a conventional dispenser, such as a gasoline pump, and a control housing remote from the dispenser and connected thereto through electric cables. The dispenser has two nozzles and is thus capable of refilling only two cars concurrently. Although there is a double display indicated on one side of the dispenser, it is done at the expense of no display at all on the other side thereof.
The double display refers just to the two above mentioned nozzlesxe2x80x94the only difference is that the usual two displays, rather than being located each on one side of the dispenser, are both located on the same side of the dispenser.
There is no teaching nor indication in Sasnett of a capability to concurrently fill more than one car from each side of the dispenser, nor are means disclosed that are directed to that purpose.
Prior art fuel dispensers contain, within one housing, two fuel dispensing systems, each on one side of the device, each capable of filling just one car at a time. Thus, the whole housing can fill, at most, two cars concurrently.
Relocating one display to the other side of the housing, as is done in Sasnett, does not improve the system""s capabilities in this respectxe2x80x94it still can fill just two cars concurrently. If two cars are located on the same side of the refueling island, and if the hose can be transferred from the other side of the device such as to fill two cars on one side of the device, then no additional cars can be filled from that other side of the housing in prior art systems.
Thus, even such maneuvering cannot increase the number of cars that can be concurrently filled from prior art fuel dispensing systems.
Kuwabara et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,769, uses more surfaces, with just one car being serviced on each surface.
Similar considerations apply to Tatsuno, U.S. Pat. No. 6,191,695 and Krupp, U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,161.
The novelty in the present invention relates, inter alia, to a capability to concurrently fill more than one car from each side of a fuel dispensing system.
Throughout the present disclosure, the terms xe2x80x9cgasoline pump systemxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cfuel dispenserxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9chousingxe2x80x9d refer to a physical fueling unit or xe2x80x9cboxxe2x80x9d; a reference to xe2x80x9cfilling more than one carxe2x80x9d refers to concurrently filling of more than one car on each side of the fueling unit.
A housing may include one fueling unit with hoses and display, which is capable of filling one car at a time.
A prior art housing may include two fueling units, back to back, in which case two cars can be concurrently filled.
Still, all prior art systems can fill just one car from each side of the housing.
The present invention addresses the problem of concurrently serving more than one car, as well as other problems in gasoline pumps.
The present disclosure relates to improvements in electronic pumps for dispensing gasoline or other liquid petroleum products to allow the concurrent filling of more than one vehicle, tank or container. If one pump can concurrently fill two cars, then the waiting time for each car other than the first is significantly reduced. This is an important benefit to customers and may increase the number of customers of a gas station. As cars approach the station and the drivers see several cars waiting, they may choose to avoid that station altogether, and drive to another station. In this way, business may be lost to the gas station owner.
By providing means for concurrently serving more cars, the present invention may therefore increase the turnover of gas service stations, without the need to add more gasoline pumps.
The new means for concurrently serving two or more cars from the same side of a gasoline pump system comprise two novel components, which act together to provide the claimed novel benefit:
a. Means for guiding car drivers to available filling outlets, during a first stagexe2x80x94prior to fueling. That is, the guiding means indicate for a gasoline pump system, whether there is an available outlet there for filling another car.
b. Means to enable each driver to identify the outlet used for filling his/her car, and to distinguish it from outlets used for filling other cars.
Benefits in the New System and Method
The following novel benefits, for example, are achievable with the present invention:
a. Improving service to customer. Reduce a driver""s waiting time at a gasoline filling station.
b. Energy savingsxe2x80x94numerous cars, waiting for prolonged time periods for fueling, consume fuel to no purpose.
c. Environmental protectionxe2x80x94less fumes from idle, waiting cars. Less noise.
d. Increased efficiency at gas stationxe2x80x94more cars can be serviced during the same time period. Increased profits, without an increase in the area of the gas filling station (real estate).
e. Better service to the community, especially in urban areas, where the alternative would be to expand the area of a gas filling station, a very expensive or impossible task.
According to one aspect of the invention, the gasoline pump includes means for simultaneously handling two cars. The pump includes electronic means for inputting data from two flowmeters, each connected to a fuel outlet. For each outlet, the cost of the delivered fuel is computed based on the volume of delivered fuel, a predefined price list and the type of fuel selected. Display means display of the amount of delivered fuel and of the price for each car being serviced.
The pump may include further display means that indicate what type of fuel was chosen by the car now filling. This may help another car driver to decide whether he/she can now use that pump as well. That is, if the second car needs a different type of fuel than that which is now filling, then the second car may be served concurrently with the first.
According to another aspect of the invention, more than two cars may be serviced simultaneously. In one embodiment, each outlet can supply a different type of fuel.
In another embodiment, two or more outlets can supply the same type of fuel, to adapt the station to actual users demand. The more popular types of fuel can thus be made available at more outlets.
A practical approach uses the available components in the gasoline pump and the advanced capabilities that electronic devices can now provide at low cost.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the fuel delivery to each car may be individually controlled, for example by limiting the transaction to a specific amount.
There is a fusion, or integration, between signals from the various pumps, each of the two displays can service any of the various pumps. A novel, sophisticated structure is presented, using advanced electronics. Flexible operation and improved performance can thus be achieved.
The scope and spirit of the invention are illustrated with the inclusion of specific applications thereof.
Further objects, advantages and other features of the present invention will become obvious to those skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth hereinafter.